Healthy Media Use Tips for Parents
How to optimize media use for children 0-12
As a caregiver, it can be challenging to navigate the world of new media. Based on a request from parents for more concrete tips about their child's media use, we compiled these resources to help you optimize media as a tool for your child's growth.
Recommendations
Ages 0-5
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DO choose engaging, interactive, non-violent, educational, and prosocial apps, games, and television shows for your child
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DO use video chat with your child at all ages to connect with distant family members and friends
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DO limit other screen time (besides video chat) for children before age 2, and aim for less than one hour of media use for children between the ages of 2-5
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DO designate media-free areas like the bedroom and dining room in your home, and turn off the TV when nobody is actively watching
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DO actively engage with your child’s media use by co-viewing or co-playing with them when possible and discussing what they see
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DO teach children ways to calm down and stay quiet without media
Recommendations
Ages 6-12
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DO make a family media use plan together to determine how media fits in the balance of your other child’s activities like outdoor play, family time, schoolwork, and sleep
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DO set and enforce consistent limits about your child's media use and avoid using media as a punishment or reward
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DO designate media-free areas like the bedroom and dining room in your home, and turn off the TV when nobody is actively watching
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DO model healthy media use for your child by limiting your own device use, especially in their presence
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DO help your child choose interactive, non-violent, educational, and prosocial apps, games, and television shows
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DO discuss privacy and safety concerns when using the internet
The Research Behind our Recommendations
Develop a better understanding of what we recommend and why.
Considering the
Three C's:
Child, Content, and Context
Research shows it's important to consider the "three C's" when determining healthy media practices for children:
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CHILD- What is the child's age or developmental stage? What are the child's likes and dislikes?
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CONTENT- What is the lesson being taught? How is it delivered?
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CONTEXT- Who is using media with the child?
Author Lisa Guernsey talks about the 3 Cs
Video Chat for All Ages
Research has shown that many parents use use video-chat (eg, Skype, FaceTime) with their young children as an interactive media form that facilitates social connection with distant relatives. When using video chat, it is important for caregivers to help support the child's understanding of what they are seeing on the screen.
Researcher Lauren Meyers talks about young children learning from video chat
Targeting the E-Aims:
Engaging
Actively Involved Meaningful
Social
Research from learning sciences has identified four aspects of high-quality TV programs and apps that parents should look for when choosing content for their children:
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ENGAGING- media should have focused content that is interesting and fun
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ACTIVELY INVOLVED- the screen experience should be "minds-on" (e.g., solving problems, reflecting on experiences)
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MEANINGFUL- screen content should involve familiar settings and situations, as introducing new information in familiar settings helps children learn
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SOCIAL- the content should encourage interaction with either an in-person or on-screen partner
Researcher Kathy Hirsh-Pasek talks about the E-Aims
Resources for Optimizing Your Child's Media Use
Tools you can use to create a family media plan, find high-quality content for your child, and feel more empowered to use media as a tool for healthy development.
How to Create a Family Media Use Plan
Create a personalized Family Media Use Plan that works within your family's values and busy lifestyles. This interactive tool developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) includes a Media Time Calculator that can give you a snapshot of how much time each child is spending on daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, homework, physical activity, and media use. It also includes AAP recommendations on screen-free zones, media manners, and much more.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/media/Pages/default.aspx
How to Choose High Quality Media
Common Sense Media is the leading independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology. They work to empower caregivers, educators, and policymakers by providing unbiased information, advice, and tools to help harness the power of media and technology as a positive force.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
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The E-AIMS model helps you choose apps and programming for your child that are: Engaging, Actively Involved, Meaningful, and Social. Use this flow chart to help you make decisions about screen time.
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Librarians are resources for families to learn about all types of media, including apps! Choosing high-quality apps for your children can be overwhelming, especially due to the number of apps that make educational claims. Check out these expert app recommendations from a local Madison librarian!
https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/kids/apps
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How to Learn More about Research-Based Media Guidelines for Children
Screen Sense is a summary of research about screen media for children under age three from the organization Zero to Three. If you choose to make screen media a part of your young child’s life, use these tips and recommendations from Screen Sense as a way to harness the potential of technology to enhance learning and development.
https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/series/screen-sense
In a world where children are "growing up digital," it's important to help them learn healthy concepts of digital use and citizenship. Parents play an important role in teaching these skills. Here are a few tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics to help parents manage the digital landscape they're exploring with their children.
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Dive into a host of resources including videos, lists of app reviewers, and the science behind the book Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens
http://www.tapclickread.org/learn/
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"In a world where children are growing up digital, it's important to help them learn healthy concepts of digital use and citizenship. Parents play an important role in teaching these skills."
The American Academy of Pediatrics
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